


Truth - a Dare

by SmileDesu



Series: Wicked - a Billy/Loki compilation [2]
Category: Loki: Agent of Asgard, Young Avengers
Genre: Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-11
Updated: 2014-11-11
Packaged: 2018-02-25 01:16:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2603198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmileDesu/pseuds/SmileDesu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Billy wasn't there when Loki told the team the truth. Now he gets his own personal confession, and it is nothing if not Loki-style</p>
            </blockquote>





	Truth - a Dare

It was dinner time. The family sat by the table, mother, father, brothers three and a yet-unofficial son-in-law. Plates were handed over the table, silverware rattled against fine dishes and the room was filled with the pleasant commotion that usually accompanied a gathering of people. The younger siblings bickered; the father cracked a joke that earned him a peculiar look from the mother; the elder brother and his boyfriend exchanged amused glances and entangled their legs under the table. It was simple, mundane, disgustingly so, and Billy Kaplan wouldn't have it any other way.  
  
Dinner came and went. The table was cleared, dishes put in the washer, and every family member went about their evening routine, consisting of some last minute arrangements before some well earned R&R. The younger boys were shooed to bed first while Teddy and Billy, being older teens, managed to outstay the parents.  
"Don't stay up _too_ late," Rebecca requested before joining Jeff in their bedroom. The teens' replies were half-hearted at best, but it mattered little as they were soon left on their lonesome in the living room to enjoy some late-night reruns. Though they were invested in the movie aired, it was ultimately only a cover and once they were certain no one would bother them Teddy stood up and shifted out of his pajamas into his superhero costume.  
  
"Coast is clear." He said softly and looked down at Billy who was still sprawled on the couch and checking the local news on his phone.  
  
"Out there, too, by the looks of it. Have fun patrolling for bad guys."  
  
"I'm sure _something_ will come up, this _is_ Manhattan."  
  
"And if not, I'm sure Tommy'd be thrilled to drag you to Jersey." Billy snickered and pushed himself up. Teddy's eyes lit up at the prospect.  
  
" _I_ 'd be thrilled with Jersey. We could run into the new Ms. Marvel!"  
  
"You _have_ to call if you do, I'll be there in the blink of an eye. Literally, you'll blink and I'll be there, cape billowing."  
  
Teddy smiled sadly and ran his hands down Billy's arms. "Or... you could come with? From the start? You know Tommy doesn't _really_ mean it when he complains--"  
  
Billy snickered softly and took one of Teddy's hands in his, squeezing it tightly. "Pass, I'm over my quota of costumed vigilantism for this week. Besides, I've an early morning with Wanda tomorrow, remember?"  
  
"Right, yes, actual witchcraft lessons from an actual witch, _finally_ something to beat Youtube and wikiHow."  
  
"Given how she's finally this side of the multiverse and not saving the world, yes."  
  
"Hey, the night's still young, something might come up."  
  
"If you just jinxed it, Altman-"  
  
" _You_ 're the witch in the house, don't blame me for that sort of thing." Teddy laughed and leaned in for a kiss. Billy closed his eyes even before their lips met, a shiver running down his back when he felt Teddy's breath over his face. The kiss was tender and prolonged, and only broke due to Billy's phone springing to life. The caller ID named Tommy as the perpetrator, and Billy sighed.  
  
"I guess something did come up."  
  
"Or it's just Tommy who can't stand still for five minutes." Teddy sighed theatrically, but smiled again when he looked at Billy. "Keep the window open for me?"  
  
"Can't have you spending the night on the roof."  
  
" _Again_."  
  
"...again." Billy hung his head low before looking up with a smile. He watched Teddy leave and then stared at the door for a good while. Accepting finally that Teddy wasn't about to just waltz back after five minutes, Billy relented. He brushed his teeth, made sure he had everything ready for tomorrow, and then climbed into bed with his tablet. Oh, he mustn't forget the window, he remembered and with a snap of his fingers the window was left unlocked. Satisfied, Billy toyed with the device for a while longer until he fell asleep, never once thinking that the wrong person might come into his room.  
  
"Really," Loki huffed as he snuck in through the window. "You keep making this too easy."  
  
He stepped inside and watched Billy for a moment. Billy seemed peaceful, and still favored sleeping on his side, a fact Loki became aware of at a different time, when he was yet a somewhat different him. A different time indeed, he thought and ran his fingers through Billy's hair, the caress affectionate yet not without an alternate purpose. His hand left in its wake pale green sparks that faded instantly, proof it was anything but an innocent gesture. Billy let out a deep breath and went further limp, not to wake until Loki was well on his way away.  
"A necessary evil, I'm afraid." The trickster said with a strained smile as he pulled the blanket up to Billy's shoulders. "I can't imagine I'm on your favorite people's list at the moment." His smile widened at the frown that rose to Billy's face, most likely an indication that the witch was instinctively fighting the sleeping-spell. Confident it would avail him not, Loki took the discarded tablet device and attempted to find a place for it away from the bed.  
  
He approached Billy's desk only to stare in awe at the mess that awaited him there. It was cluttered with notes and papers and books and figures and- oh, some of these weren't fully assembled. Those parts could get lost so easily...  
Loki realized then he had held his breath. Even this much told him so much of his slumbering companion and his every-day life. It made a peculiar tingling sensation settle in Loki's chest.  
"I see you're getting back on track, picking up where you left off... I was certain you'd run off with one group of Avengers-wannabes or another... maybe even a real one, cling to dear Scarlet Mommy's apron, but here you are, getting an education, trying to make up for lost time..."  
Finally finding enough space for the tablet, he left it on one of the shelves and proceeded to pick up a thick book that showed signs of wear, its title pertaining it to a higher branch of algebra. A quick thumbing through the pages made Loki frown before putting it back down. He then ran his fingers over the rest of the books on the shelves, examining the titles adorning the books' spines.  
"This is _some_ heavy reading, and quite a bit of it. Then again, I don't suppose you have much of a choice, do you? Between your silly superhero civil war, your affair with the windowsill, and our--" He lowered his gaze. "...less than epic road-trip, you do have your work cut out for you."  
  
Done with that shelf, he let his attention wander until it landed on a long yet narrow piece of paper hanging off the edge of the shelf. He pulled it off and examined what appeared to be a to-do list, scribbled in Billy's less-than-comprehensible handwriting. Its length made Loki wince, but it was a brief expression as several items made him snicker, showcasing the teen's humor and cynicism more often than not. The list itself was overall a glorious mess, with items written in various pens and differing levels of urgency which affected the levels of legibility. And yet it was nothing if not thorough, detailing even the smallest of tasks Billy had to perform. The methodical, grounded approach the note embodied made Loki smile as it stood in sore, stark contrast to the Billy he knew - impatient, impulsive, constantly on-edge. Granted, it took certain means for individuals with such dispositions to claim academic success, and Billy seemed to know himself well enough to know what worked for him.  
  
"Better leave this where I found it..." Loki mumbled before sticking the note back to the shelf. He then noticed something that didn't fit the scenery, a book unlike the others shoved between comic-book trades and more academia. It was a colorful and titleless cover, and so with a quirked brow Loki pulled it out. Not even looking at the front cover he opened it, only to pause. Smiling up at him- or rather, at the photographer- were Billy and Teddy, the latter's arm wrapped around the former's shoulders, their cheeks pressed together. The date at the bottom placed it after they returned home, and the cliche 'wish you were here' caption indicated they were away on vacation when they had the photo for this gift postcard taken. Well deserved respite after what he's put them through, Loki thought and flipped the page. The rest of what he realized was a photo album was similarly themed, all smiles and happiness, with the couple's friends and family making occasional guest appearances. For a moment Loki thought it might be an act, a desperate attempt to immitate better, simpler times, but then he noticed the utterly love-struck, smitten look Billy gave Teddy in one of the photos, proof profound enough it made him close the album and let out a shaky breath.  
"Aren't we all glad there was no need for plan B." Loki whispered and put the album back where he found it. He took a step back from the desk before turning to look around the room, eyes moving from poster to figure to other assorted decorations.  
"How _do_ you manage to cram all this into such limited space... truly a master reality warper." He let out a mandatory snort at his own joke before coming to a stop, his expression now noticeably less amused given the silence that surrounded him.  
  
"I wonder... had you been awake, how would you have responded to this? To _any_ of this? Would you have even heard me out? Let me into your room to begin with? Punch me either way, I'd wager." He snickered in a way that was obviously forced and rubbed his right cheek as he recalled the time that actually took place. It was well deserved and a long time coming, and in all honesty Loki was both grateful and surprised at the time that's all Billy did. Of course, he _did_ use his powers to ensure he inflicted damage on the demigod, at least that...  
  
"You should've done worse." The sentence was left hanging in the air for a moment as Loki couldn't quite believe he'd said that out loud. A glance in Billy's direction revealed no reaction, of course, and so Loki found himself giving in to the need to get this off his chest. After all, when last he had confessed his crimes Billy wasn't present, too busy fighting to save the world, to fix the mess Loki had engineered. Yet there he was, asleep - yet present.  
"I _wish_ you had done worse. I deserved it... still do."  
Hands in his pockets, he paced slowly through the room, eyes wandering yet unseeing. "I know what you're thinking, that _that_ 's why I stay away. Well, you're not _completely_ wrong, but that depends on when you ask. Usually it would be that, yes." He nodded to himself with a hint of an amused smile on his lips. He turned to Billy, for a brief moment expecting- hoping for- a reaction, but all he received was a soft outtake of breath. He looked down and and took his hands out of his pockets in favor of dragging the chair over. He held onto the top of the backrest with both his hands, eyes set on the seat.  
  
"What of the rest of the time, then...?" He asked in Billy's stead, or so he excused it to himself before sitting down with his chest to the backrest.  
"That's a good question... the rest of the time I wish I didn't have to." Loki admitted and rested a forearm over the backrest, and his chin on it. "Whether you believe it or not, that's up to you, but that's my truth." He took his head-piece off and ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it back. "You're somewhat used to it, having your own ragtag team of youthful vagabonds, but for me, that was a... well, a _rarity_. It doesn't happen _too_ often..." The silence stretched on until Billy coughed.  
"You're right... it was a first." Loki slumped against the chair with a sigh. He toyed with his headpiece, noting how even in the darkness of the room it caught light and toyed with it. "Those months before David showed up, when you all came close to trusting me, maybe even actually trusted me when you weren't paying attention..." He licked his lips, shoulders hunched as memories of that time played through his mind. "Those were fun times. _Good_ times. I don't get too many of those." He turned to watch Billy in his sleep, the teen still and silent. Loki's smile was warm and fond and melancholy.  
"Times I didn't deserve. Every moment I spent with your group... with _you_..." His hand tightened around the metal before he pushed himself up and returned to pacing, lacking the leisure he had to him earlier.  
  
"I want nothing but to come back. _Kidnap_ you if I have to, hit the road again, be your magic teacher, _anything_... spend _any_ amount of time with you again, after all-" His voice, having grown louder, broke around a gasp. He deflated, eyes set on the slumbering figure on the bed. "How else am I to earn your forgiveness? You're hardly the type to let things go, and for a good reason. What I've done to you is no trifle matter... at the very least, it's nothing the passage of time alone can hope to mend."  
  
He found himself by the bed, his attention fixated on Billy, the way his breaths came out even, how he pulled out from under the blanket a bit, his hair, a glorious, tousled mess on the pillow. It was against everything he thought was best yet still Loki reached for him, fingers pushing aside dark strands before proceeding to brush against his cheek.  
"I have to be by your side, make it up to you..." He properly cupped Billy's cheek and ran his thumb under a closed eye before pulling away, his hand clenching into a fist he held to his chest.  
  
"But I _can't_." He hissed softly, a heavy, frustrated whisper that burned his tongue. "Because for all the time I spent with you, and my guilt, and your magic that remade me..." His fist fell to his side before grasping the other side of his headpiece. He frowned down at it, and though it was hard to see in the dark, he knew his reflection was staring back with equal disdain.  
"I am still _Loki_. I am still tricks and chaos, treachery and lies. And so help me..." His eyes narrowed at his so called crown before he looked at Billy again, determination evident alongside apology. "I'll never let any of that be directed at you ever again."  
  
With a soft breath leaving his lips Loki replaced the headpiece against his forehead and took his time to properly align it.  
"Shall we reschedule, then? Say, oh, a time when being Loki means being someone who can do right by you." A gasp of laughter left him. "Supposed that means you won't see me for a while. Take care of yourself 'till then, won't you? Plan B's aren't often as worthwhile as they seem at first."  
  
He paused at the window, hand clutching the frame and back turned to Billy.  
  
"For what it's worth... I truly am sorry."  
  
–  
  
"Did you do it?" The question greeted Loki as soon as he stepped into his apartment. He wasn't surprised to be deprived of peace even in his own home.  
  
"I left tonight with a busy agenda, Verity, do be more specific."  
  
She quirked a brow and watched him for a moment while he took off his coat and boots. He seemed worn out, so she decided to play along at least this much. "You said you had a friend you've wronged and had so much to say to-"  
  
"Ah, yes, at which point you guilted me into going-"  
  
"One- you guilted yourself. Two- you stranded me to house-sit, so at the very least, we're even, though on my count you owe me."  
  
Loki couldn't even muster the energy required to continue the banter, so Verity simply continued.  
"Look, I won't pester, so this will be the last time - did you or didn't you?"  
  
"...I did." Loki said with his gaze downcast and fists clenched at his sides. Verity frowned in return.  
  
"Then why does it feel like you're lying?"  
  
Loki shrugged before sighing. "He... might've been asleep."  
  
" _Asleep--_ " Verity gasped momentarily, but had to admit she wasn't truly surprised. "I see."  
  
"It's complicated!" Loki objected before snorting bitterly. "He would probably spell himself away if he so much as saw me..."  
  
His companion remained silent for a moment before hunching her shoulders. "Hey, it's not like I know the first thing about the guy to pass judgement either way. Did-" Her demeanor softened, her brows furrowing while she hugged herself. "Did it at least make you feel better?"  
  
Loki took a moment to contemplate that before nodding. "I suppose... a bit."  
  
"That's good, then... good." Verity nodded, only to frown next. "Just... not to rain on your parade or anything, but are you _sure_ he was asleep?"  
  
"Verity, please, I _made_ sure of that."  
  
"Of course you did." Not quite disbelieving, she still seemed unimpressed before heading to the kitchen. "Alright, since you left me here to worry about you, I'm helping myself to your ice-cream. Feel free to join."  
  
Loki smiled fondly at her retreating figure and had every intention of joining her, but something held him back - doubt. No... no, he cast the spell perfectly, Billy was fast asleep... wasn't he?  
  
–  
  
Whatever plans Teddy had for sneaking up on his snoozing boyfriend burned to the ground as soon as he climbed up to Billy's window. He found the witch sitting up in his bed, knees upraised and a thoughtful frown on his face.  
"So much for waking you up with a kiss." Teddy mock-pouted before noting how Billy didn't seem to realize he was there until he spoke, judging by the way he jumped. Despite the smile that soon rose to his partner's face, Teddy was frowning when he approached the bed. "It doesn't look like you stayed up and waited for me- I'm _hurt_ , by the way."  
  
Billy laughed at Teddy's theatrics before he had a hand on his cheek. He rested his palm against Teddy's forearm and gave a light squeeze.  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"Asked the guy who just got back from fighting the good fight and all that."  
  
"And came back to a frowny boyfriend."  
  
Billy closed his eyes and nodded slightly. "Just... had a lot on my mind."  
  
"Let me guess-" Teddy stood up straight, his poker-face utter perfection. "It's another guy."  
  
Billy blinked before biting his lower lip. "Well... you're _not_ wrong."  
  
"What?!" Teddy yelped, unsure of how serious Billy was while Billy burst out laughing at his reaction.  
  
"I'm joking, c'mon, it's just my neuroses acting up. Besides, it's not like I can sleep while you're out there, can I?"  
  
Equally smitten by and suspicious of that statement, Teddy was ultimately warded away and to the shower by Billy. He _was_ relieved Teddy was back safely, and he was about to follow the original plan which had been to heat up some leftovers for Teddy, but seeing as he was already out of bed, there was something Billy had to check first. He walked up to the window and carefully touched the frame. His eyes widened when he felt the remains of a familiar presence there, and the realization that brought with it made him lean against the wall. That wasn't a dream, then, he concluded, and wondered what he was supposed to do with any of it.  
  
_I truly am sorry_.  
  
"Ha ha--" The laugh, bitter and amazed, left him on its own. Billy held a hand to his face, staring out the window from between his fingers. One thing was for certain - no one would ever believe him.


End file.
